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Another Way to Update Properties
If you want to update a Vault property and that property is mapped to a value within the file, you have a couple of options, and they both suck. This post is to introduce a third, and non-sucky, option in Vault 2015 R2. Again, I’ll be using the previously undocumented functions from Copy Design. Continue reading
Posted 2 days ago at It's All Just Ones and Zeros
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Yep, that was a typo. Thanks for letting me know.
Commented Feb 12, 2015 on The Loader Framework at It's All Just Ones and Zeros
The Loader Framework
One interesting little API gem is the ExtensionLoader. Well, it’s interesting to me because I designed it, but maybe you will find it interesting too. I basically took the mechanism for loading plug-ins and made it public in the API. In theory, you can make use of this tool to load extens...
- The Vault add-in gets around this issue by spawning a new process.
- Yes, this DLL is still around in 2015 but "UpdateFileProperties" is the only function it does. The rest of the features have been moved to other parts of the API.
If you use the 2015 DLL, then you will need the Vault 2015 client installed as well.
Commented Feb 12, 2015 on Autodesk.Connectivity.Explorer.ExtensibilityTools.dll at It's All Just Ones and Zeros
Autodesk.Connectivity.Explorer.ExtensibilityTools.dll
I've been getting a lot of questions about Autodesk.Connectivity.Explorer.ExtensibilityTools.dll so I thought I would explain a bit about it. On the surface it looks like a collection of useful functions, but there's more to it that you should be aware of. Most importantly, you need to be awa...
Roll Your Own Copy Design
Previously, I documented two new functions related to the new Copy Design app in Vault 2015 R2. Now I would like to explore some uses for those functions. The most obvious usage is to build your own Copy Design algorithm that meets your specific needs. Continue reading
Posted Feb 11, 2015 at It's All Just Ones and Zeros
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2 Undocumented Functions
There are some undocumented functions in Vault 2015 R2 I’d like to tell you about. Of course, the process of me telling you about them essentially makes them documented. So by the time you get to the bottom of this article, the title becomes untrue. Continue reading
Posted Jan 30, 2015 at It's All Just Ones and Zeros
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Normally I don't include VB.NET examples because there are web sites you can go to that do the conversion automatically.
But in this case, I included the app in an AU class, and built a VB.NET example for it. You can find it in the Additional Materials download of my AU class: http://au.autodesk.com/au-online/classes-on-demand/class-catalog/2014/vault/sd5329
Commented Jan 21, 2015 on BOM Report Job at It's All Just Ones and Zeros
BOM Report Job
To celebrate the release of Vault 2015 R2, I wrote an app that lets you generate BOM reports automatically through the Vault job server. If you are not already aware, Vault 2015 R2 has a BOM Report feature. From any BOM view, you can run the Report command to generate a report of the BOM t...
Changing the Item Lifecycle State
In the Vault 2015 R2 release, the old Item lifecycle engine was replaced with the entity-based engine used by Files and Folders. The good news is that the entity-based engine is filled with awesome features to make your Items more useful. The bad news is that you have to update your code. If you already know how to change File Lifecycle States, then you pretty much know how to change Item Lifecycle States. This article is geared mostly to those that use Items but are not familiar with the File/Folder lifecycle engine. Step 1: Figuring out the States and Transitions... Continue reading
Posted Jan 8, 2015 at It's All Just Ones and Zeros
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No. This app has not been updated and there are no plans to update at the moment.
Commented Jan 7, 2015 on Effective Permissions 2014 at It's All Just Ones and Zeros
Effective Permissions 2014
If you are a Vault Administrator using the advanced security features in Vault, you need this app. Period. Here is the video from the 2013 version if you need some background on the app. I didn’t add any new features in 2014. Requirements: Vault 2014 Workgroup / Professional Administra...
That does not sound like intended behavior. If you are an ADN member you should log the issue with them. Otherwise you can post the issue on the Vault API discussion group http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/vault-customization/bd-p/301
In the meantime, the workaround is to fix the file name after the download is complete.
Commented Nov 19, 2014 on How to Acquire Files at It's All Just Ones and Zeros
How to Acquire Files
Downloading and checking-out is so last year. The fashionable Vault API developer acquires their files. It has more style and class. Also, DocumentService.DownloadFile and DocumentService.CheckoutFile are no more in the 2014 API. So that kind of forces the issue. Connection.FileManager....
Correct, that service pack is not for the R2 release.
Commented Nov 11, 2014 on Vault 2015 R2 at It's All Just Ones and Zeros
Vault 2015 R2
Warning: A new version of Vault has been released to Subscription Center. For the first time in many years, the Vault team put out a full release in between the standard yearly releases. R2 is not a service pack, which is why you need to be careful. If you are installing for the first time...
Updated Vault 2015 R2 SDK
Many of you doing development on Vault 2015 R2 have noticed some issues with the SDK. For example, the What’s New page is for the 2015 release and there is no list of changes for 2015 R2. Those issues should now be fixed. Sorry for the inconvenience. Please un-install your current Vault 2015 R2 SDK and install the fixed SDK: Vault_2015_R2_SDK-Fixed.zip If you have questions about the Vault API, the best place to go is the Vault Customization discussion group. Continue reading
Posted Nov 7, 2014 at It's All Just Ones and Zeros
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What are you asking? You want to remove your email address from your posts in the comments section?
Commented Nov 6, 2014 on Coding for Performance - Getting All Files at It's All Just Ones and Zeros
Coding for Performance - Getting All Files
In my last Coding for Performance article, I explained the best way to get File objects from a set of File ID values. But what if you don't have the ID's? What if you want to get all the files in the Vault, and you don't have any information to start with? I came up with 3 techniques you ca...
If you know the Vault path, you can call FindFilesBySearchConditions and pass in the Folder Id. The search will only be applied to objects in that folder and any sub-folders.
Going from a local folder on disk to a Vault folder is a bit tricky. I think most people start at the root Vault folder, get the working folder (Connection.WorkingFoldersManager.GetWorkingFolder()) and use that to map between local path and Vault path. This only works if the sub-folders don't define their own working folder in another location.
Commented Nov 6, 2014 on Coding for Performance - Getting All Files at It's All Just Ones and Zeros
Coding for Performance - Getting All Files
In my last Coding for Performance article, I explained the best way to get File objects from a set of File ID values. But what if you don't have the ID's? What if you want to get all the files in the Vault, and you don't have any information to start with? I came up with 3 techniques you ca...
DocumentService.GetNumberingSchemesByType() returns an array of NumSchm objects. Each one of those objects has a full description of a numbering scheme, including the fields involved.
Keep in mind that NumSchmField can be subclassed into objects that are specialized to each field type (FreeTxtField, AutogenField, and so on).
Commented Nov 6, 2014 on Generating File Names at It's All Just Ones and Zeros
Generating File Names
The Vault API is sometimes redundant, and it can also repeat itself. One place were this is painfully obvious is with file name generation. If you want to generate a file name, there are two completely separate mechanisms to choose from. Each has its own set of API functions with their own ...
There is no easy way to read that data. The vcet.config is for the plug-in loader framework. If your app wants to store settings, I suggest doing it in another file.
Commented Oct 27, 2014 on .vcet.config Specification (v3) at It's All Just Ones and Zeros
.vcet.config Specification (v3)
A couple weeks ago, I blogged about the Loader Framework. One of the key components of that framework is the .vcet.config. It’s basically the file that tells the Loader what to load and how to load it. In the knowledgebase of the SDK is the specification for the XML syntax. It’s the v3 ve...
I don't know, I never tried it. If it works, it's an unsupported feature.
The preferred behavior is that you go to the object the link points to, and not go to the link itself.
Commented Oct 27, 2014 on GoToLocation at It's All Just Ones and Zeros
GoToLocation
I can’t believe I forgot to add this to the “What’s New” page in the SDK documentation. New in the Vault 2013 API, you have the ability to jump to a different location when you custom command completes. This is a useful feature if, for example, your command creates a folder and you want the ...
1. Technically, no. You don't need to use the VDF. But the upload/download workflows have changed. Overall, uploading and downloading is much easier through the VDF.
Either way, you will have code to update, I believe it's easier to move over to the VDF.
2. You will need a Visual Studio edition that supports .NET 4.5. I'm not sure if VS 2010 does that. Both VS 2012 and VS 2013 should work fine.
Commented Oct 27, 2014 on What’s new in the Vault 2015 SDK at It's All Just Ones and Zeros
What’s new in the Vault 2015 SDK
Vault 2015 has just been released. Here is a quick breakdown of what’s new and what’s changed in the API. Overall, these changes are reactions to changes in the Vault product itself. There’s nothing new here specific to API developers. Edited out of Turn enhancements Vault has changed h...
Quick Change
I may be exaggerating slightly when I say that the Quick Change state on Items is the greatest invention mankind has ever or will ever achieve. The bad news is that it’s only available for Vault 2015 R2. But that’s also a good thing, because once you start using it, there is no going back. You are changed forever. Continue reading
Posted Oct 16, 2014 at It's All Just Ones and Zeros
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2015 R2 has a "grouping" feature that lets you show multiple rows for different instances of the same part. If you can see that in the BOM view, then the BOM Report should be able to give you the same view.
If you want a BOM Report that looks different than what you see in Vault Explorer, then this app will not do that. However, the source code is available, as usual. So you can program your own type of BOM view.
Commented Sep 29, 2014 on BOM Report Job at It's All Just Ones and Zeros
BOM Report Job
To celebrate the release of Vault 2015 R2, I wrote an app that lets you generate BOM reports automatically through the Vault job server. If you are not already aware, Vault 2015 R2 has a BOM Report feature. From any BOM view, you can run the Report command to generate a report of the BOM t...
BOM Report Job
To celebrate the release of Vault 2015 R2, I wrote an app that lets you generate BOM reports automatically through the Vault job server.
If you are not already aware, Vault 2015 R2 has a BOM Report feature. From any BOM view, you can run the Report command and it will generate a report of the BOM that you are viewing. This report uses the same engine as File and Folder reports, which has a good deal of customization options. There are also default templates to help you get started quickly. Continue reading
Posted Sep 26, 2014 at It's All Just Ones and Zeros
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The first step is to find out what is locking the file. I don't think it's the Vault API. Could it be Inventor that is locking the file?
Commented Sep 24, 2014 on Setting File Attributes on Download at It's All Just Ones and Zeros
Setting File Attributes on Download
The Problem: Through the API, you download a file and place it in the local workspace. But when you open up Vault Explorer, it says that the file has been edited out of turn. The Solution: After downloading the file, you need to set it to read-only (unless you have it checked out to you) a...
You can find some examples in postings on the Vault discussion group. For example: http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/vault-general-discussion/batch-file-for-vault-mirror/m-p/2530627
Commented Sep 18, 2014 on Vault Mirror at It's All Just Ones and Zeros
Vault Mirror
Vault Mirror holds a special place in my heart. It's the first utility I ever released publicly, and it was one of the first utilities to be featured on Autodesk Labs. It took me only a few hours to write, and I figured it would have a short lifetime. Much to my delight, the utility is stil...
I've never done it myself, but my guess is that you set the value to an ImageInfo object.
I have an article on reading the different property types. So that should be helpful in knowing how to write them.
http://justonesandzeros.typepad.com/blog/2014/03/reading-values-through-the-propertymanager.html
Commented Sep 18, 2014 on Adding a Custom Column to a VDF Grid at It's All Just Ones and Zeros
Adding a Custom Column to a VDF Grid
As I mentioned a few articles ago, the VDF has the concept of client properties. On top of that, the VDF gives you the ability to add your own. The main advantage here is that it gives you a column of your very own in the VDF grid. Beyond that, most of the work is up to you. You need to ...
Correct. The Package Service, which handles item import/export, is disabled in R2.
Commented Sep 12, 2014 on Vault 2015 R2 at It's All Just Ones and Zeros
Vault 2015 R2
Warning: A new version of Vault has been released to Subscription Center. For the first time in many years, the Vault team put out a full release in between the standard yearly releases. R2 is not a service pack, which is why you need to be careful. If you are installing for the first time...
Vault 2015 R2
Warning: A new version of Vault Professional has been released to Subscription Center. For the first time in many years, the Vault team put out a full release in between the standard yearly releases. R2 is not a service pack, which is why you need to be careful. Continue reading
Posted Sep 11, 2014 at It's All Just Ones and Zeros
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